US 11,998,377 B2
Air cooled PET scanner gantry
John Keller, Knoxville, TN (US); James L. Corbeil, Knoxville, TN (US); and Ziad Burbar, Knoxville, TN (US)
Assigned to Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (US)
Appl. No. 17/757,152
Filed by Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (US)
PCT Filed May 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/070061
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 10, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/236172, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0409155 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 6/00 (2024.01); A61B 6/03 (2006.01); A61B 6/42 (2024.01)
CPC A61B 6/4488 (2013.01) [A61B 6/037 (2013.01); A61B 6/4258 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical image scanner gantry comprising:
cooling air delivery manifold comprising:
a patient tunnel portion; and
a front funnel portion;
a plurality of gamma detectors housed inside the medical image scanner gantry and positioned behind the front funnel portion that comprises:
an annular interior wall defining an entry opening of the patient tunnel portion; and
an air plenum comprising an annular structure for carrying a flow of pressurized air received from a remote source, wherein the air plenum comprising an annular nozzle configured for directing the flow of pressurized air toward the plurality of gamma detectors as a flow of high-velocity air for cooling the plurality of gamma detectors and their associated electronic components;
wherein the annular interior wall is nested inside the annular structure of the air plenum, whereby a supplemental air inlet is formed between the annular interior wall and the air plenum, whereby when the flow of high-velocity air flows out of the annular nozzle, ambient air is drawn through the supplemental air inlet and merges with the flow of high-velocity air exiting the annular nozzle and flows toward the plurality of gamma detectors as cooling air flow.